Sunscreen Update

American sunscreens less effective because of outdated FDA regulations, scientists say.
On the front of the Thursday Styles section, Catherine Saint Louis writes in the New York Times (6/24, E1, Saint Louis) "Skin Deep" column that "the Food and Drug Administration is considering a set of guidelines for sunscreen that would set up a four-star system for effectiveness against UVA rays. The rules would also ban the use of misleading terms like 'sunblock' and 'all-day protection' from labels." However, "these rules were proposed three years ago, and the agency has yet to take action." Meanwhile, "consumers are left with sunscreen regulations that date back to...1978 when the science of sun protection was far more primitive. The status quo leaves Americans with less-effective sunscreens than Europeans, doctors and scientists say."